Railway signal apparatus.



No. 772,607. PATENTED 001 18, 1904 M. BROWN.

, RAILWAY SIGNAL APPARATUS, APPLICATION FILE-D FEB. 11. 1904.

N0 MODEL.

w/ k 2 7 w UNITED STATES PatentedOctoberIS, 1904.

PATE T OFFICE.

MAURICE R.- BROWN, OF COHOES, NEW YORK.

RAILWAY SIGNAL APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 77 2,607, dated October1 8, 1904=.

Application filed February 11, 1904. Serial No. 193,048. (No model.) i

To all whom, it may con/06 m.

Be it'known that 1, MAURICE R. BROWN, a citizen of the United States,residing at hoes, county of Albany, andpState of New York, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Railway Signal Apparatus, ofwhich the following is a specification.

- The invention relates to such improvements;

1 and it consistsof the novel construction and combination of partshereinafter described and subsequently claimed.

: Reference may be had to the accompanying drawings, andthe referencecharacters marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.. V

Similar characters refer the several figures.

Figure l of thedrawings is a view of a signal-post provided with myimproved signal apparatus in position to indicate .idanger. Fig. 2 is asimilar viewwith the parts in position to indicate safety. Fig. 3 is asimilar View with the parts in position to indicate caution. Fig. 4 is aplan view of the counterbalance portion of one of the semaphores.

Fig. 5 is a cross-section of the same, taken on the broken line 5 5 inFig. 4. Fig. 6 is a view in side elevation of a signal-post providedwith a modified form of the signal apparatus. Fig. 7 is a top plan viewof the same.

My invention relates to railway signal apparatus of the general typewherein are employed semaphores to convey-certain information by day andcolored lights to convey like information by night.

Certain objects of my invention are to secure a greater degree of safetyin the operation of railroads employing such signals and to eliminatethe use of glass in the movable parts of the apparatus. I

Other objects will appear in'connection with the following description.

Referring to the drawings, wherein the invention is shown in itspreferred form, 1 represents a signal-post, upon which are rotativelymounted a pair of semaphores 2 and 3,

the arm of the upper semaphore being colored red and that of the lowerone green.

Mounted upon said post also are a pair of to similar parts in.

. a distance.

lamps l and 5, the upper of which is pro vided with a red glass or lens6 and the lower with a green glass or lens 7., Each semaphore isprovided with a counterbalance or weight 8, that of the red semaphorebeing fixed upon any arm olfset.obliquely from the signal-arm of thesemaphore, while that of the green semaphore is fixed upon an arm inline with the signal-arm of the semaphore.

The arrangement is such that when the signal-arms of both semaphoresextend horizontally the counterbalanceofythe green] semaphore willoccupy a position infront of the green lamp, so as to obstructthe raystherefrom, while the counterbalance of the red semaphore will lie belowthe red lamp in position to permit unobstructed transmission of thelight from the red-lamp, as, shown. in Fig. '1. When the red semaphoreextends horizontally and the green semaphore obliquely, bothcounterbalances willbe removed.

from in front of the respective lamps, permitting unobstructedtransmission ofthe rays therefrom, as shown in Fig. 3, and when bothsemaphores extend obliquely the counterbalance of the green semaphorewill occupy a position above the green lamp, while that of the redsemaphore will occupy a position in front of the red lamp,causing thesame to be obscured. The reading of the signals is as follows: A redlight alone,or both semaphores extending horizontally, indicates danger.

' A green light alone, or both semaphores extending obliquely, indicatessafety. Both red and green lights, or a red semaphore extendinghorizontally and a green semaphore obliquely, indicate caution. I

It will be apparent that a single semaphore, counterbalance, and lampmay be employed or that the counterbalances can be offset at difierentangles and the parts differently arranged, and lamps havingdifferently-colored glasses or lenses from those shown may be employedin carrying out the invention, the signals being interpreted by a knowncode.

Any known means may be employed for causing the operation of thesemaphores from with the respective semaphores,whereby they may beoperated.

I have shown links 10 connected' The counterbalance may be provided witha brush 12,. of felt or other suitable material, adapted to be movedover the outer face of the lens to cleanse the same as the semaphore isoperated. If desired, a separate shield may be fixed upon thesemaphore-arm to obscure the light from the lamp instead of using thecounterbalance or weight for that purpose, or the semaphore-arm itselfmay serve as a shield for a lamp properly placed. I prefer, however, theconstruction shown, wherein the counterbalance or Weight serves as ashield or blind for the lamp.

As shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the apparatus is adapted for use for twotracks, a single semaphore being used in connection with the same pairof lamps adapted to show, respectively, red and green lights for eachtrack. The semaphore is adapted for reading from the position of anobserver of Fig. 6 and the semaphore 16 from the position of an observeron the opposite side of the post facing the same. The lamp 1? isprovided on the side toward the observer of Fig. 6 with a red lensadapted to be covered at certain times by the counterbalance 18 of thesemaphore 15 and on the opposite side with a green lens adapted to becovered at certain times by the blade of the semaphore 16. In likemanner the lamp 19 is provided on the side toward the observer of Fig. 6with a green lens adapted to be covered at certain times by the blade ofthe semaphore 15 and on the opposite side with a red lens adapted to becovered at certain times by the counterbalance 20 of the semaphore 16.

It will be observed that the movable part of the apparatus contains noglass to become broken, the only glass employed being that in the lensesof the lamps, whereby risk of breakage is reduced to a minimum, as saidlamps can be removed during the day and only used at night, and when soin use are covered, part of the time at least, by the heavy ironcounterbalances, which protect them from injury.

The semaphore can be subjected to the most vigorous manipulation withoutdanger of breakage of glass.

The shield or counterbalance can be made as large as desired to afford aliberal allowance for lost motion in the operation of the apparatus.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a signal apparatus, the combination with a pair of lamps adaptedto show different colors; of a pair of semaphores each having a blindadapted in certain positions of the semaphore to obscure one of saidlamps.

2. In a signal apparatus, the combination with a lamp; of a semaphorehaving a coun terbalance offset therefrom and adapted in certainpositions of the semaphore to obscure said lamp.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 8th day ofFebruary, 1904.

MAURICE It. BROWN.

Witnesses:

FRANK (J. CURTIS, E. M. OREILLY.

